# Garlic Chili Oil Spaghetti

Garlicky, lightly spicy, and impossibly comforting spaghetti with minimal effort and maximum flavor.

- Cuisine: Italian
- Category: Soup
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 8 oz spaghetti
- 0.33 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups reserved pasta water
- 1 whole parsley stem, for infusing
- 0.33 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
- fresh lemon zest, for garnish
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
- 1 pinch salt

## Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of aggressively salted water to a boil.
2. Cook spaghetti until al dente.
3. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the starchy pasta water, then drain.
4. While the pasta cooks, gently heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low.
5. Add the garlic slices and whole parsley stem, stir constantly until the garlic turns light golden (about 3 minutes).
6. Stir in the chili flakes and a pinch of salt.
7. Let them bloom for 30 seconds, then remove the parsley stem and take the pan off the heat.
8. Add about ½ cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet and stir/whisk vigorously to combine with the oil until it looks creamy and slightly thick.
9. Return the pan to medium-low heat and add the drained spaghetti along with another splash of pasta water.
10. Toss everything aggressively with tongs for 1–2 minutes, drizzling in 1 to 2 more tablespoons of olive oil and a bit more pasta water as you go, alternating between the two while tossing nonstop until the sauce turns silky and glossy.
11. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped parsley.
12. Taste and add a tiny pinch of salt if needed.
13. Plate immediately, spooning any extra sauce from the pan over the top.
14. Garnish with lemon zest and a sprinkle of Parmesan if desired (add cheese after plating).

## Equipment

- large pot
- large skillet
- tongs

## Tips

- When cooking garlic, stir constantly until it turns light golden, not brown.
- When forming the sauce, vigorously stir/whisk the pasta water with the oil to create a creamy emulsion.
- When tossing the spaghetti with the sauce, alternate between drizzling in olive oil and pasta water nonstop for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is silky and glossy.
- Add Parmesan cheese after plating so it doesn't break the emulsion.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1AZ2dvuagA/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/3e3d9885-3bf7-42d7-9196-071a26164c77
- Extracted: 2025-12-14

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt